


Death and the Three Brothers

by zeitgeist21st



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Sandman (Comics)
Genre: The Tale of the Three Brothers, The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 19:41:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14504127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeitgeist21st/pseuds/zeitgeist21st
Summary: There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across.. and a girl with an ankh around her neck. The true story of how the Peverell Brothers first encountered Death.





	1. Chapter I

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted and is still on Fanfiction since December 6th 2011.

Ever since there were dreams, there were stories. When there are stories, there are mysteries and secrets. In the realm known to many as the Dreaming, not too far away from the palace of the Lord Shaper, there stood two houses, one next to the other. One was the House of Mysteries, in there lived the first murderer. The other was the House of Secrets, in there lived the first to ever be murdered.

On a day no different than any other in the Dreaming, a friend came to visit the brothers who lived in the two houses. A young witch who had lost her way accompanied her.

"Hello Abel." Eve greeted the owner of the House of Secrets.

"Huhello, uh, Eve." he replied, he then noticed the witch. "Hm, who do we have huhere?"

The witch held out her hand to greet the man.

"My name's Molly, Molly Smith, of Hufflepuff House." she said as he shook her hand.

"Her classmate botched a dream potion and she got lost here. I thought we could have a little tea and tell a few stories until she wakes up."

"Suhsure, I'll uh invite Cuhcain."

Eve groaned. Molly was puzzled.

"Do we have to?"

"Yuhyou know how he guhgets."

"He always gets like that."

"Hey, what's all the hub bub around here?"

Cain hopped the fence between the two houses. He waltzed over and leaned on Abel's shoulder.

"Werwe were abuhbout to have some tuhtea and tell a few suhstories. Hm. Want to join uh in?"

"I'd be happy to join in." His attention was then drawn to Molly. "Who's she?"

"I'm Molly, of Hufflepuff House." She replied a little indignantly.

"Ah, a witch. It's been a while since we had a witch in our neck of the woods. I believe I know a few stories you little magic folk grew up with."

They entered the House of Secrets and sat in the parlor as Abel made the tea.

"So Molly," Said Cain, "have you read any stories by Beetle the Bard?"

"Actually no, I am muggle born, I'm afraid. I grew up with Grimm fairy tales."

"Then you're in for a treat," Eve said, "We know all the stories. I think I'll tell you my favorite story about the Fountain of Fair Fortune-"

"Boring!" Cain interrupted. "She's never heard of these stories before and you go straight to the boring one."

"Huhow about the Werwarlock's Huhairy Huhuheart?"

"Of course not that one, you sniveling oaf. I never liked that story, makes no sense."

Molly was startled by Cain's insults towards his own brother. But she ignored them when seeing no one else react and sipped her tea. The three pondered until Abel thought of another story.

"The um Tuhtale of the Thuhthree Buhbrothers."

Cain smiled the smile he would always give to his brother, as if he was deciding in what fashion to kill him (which was never too far from the truth for him).

"Perfect, perfect, absolutely perfect my dear brother. Maybe you're not useless after all. "

"I agree," Eve said, "I love that story. Molly, you'll enjoy it. It's a true story, after all."

"That's a secret, dear mother." Cain chided.

"First of all, I am not your mother. And second, we're in the House of Secrets. Should it matter that much if a secret is told within these walls? You don't forbid me to reveal a mystery in your house."

"Fine. Abel, you stuttering buffoon, why don't you see if you can spit this one out right."

Abel drank some tea before taking a deep breath in preparation to recite the story.

"There was a river that crossed a path. It was too deep to wade across and too treacherous to swim. Whoever would try to come across it would always drown. Because of this, Death was never too far away from this river..."

 


	2. Chapter II

She sat by the river and stared at the water rushing by. She had just sent off another soul that had drowned and now the body was sinking to the bottom before being carried away by the current. She hated this part of the job, just sitting around and waiting for people to die. She would always be kind enough to tell people to clear away or follow the river until it calmed into a stream, but they would never listen. Mortals were always so proud that they would hardly heed a warning. She was just happy with the fact that somewhere she was having more fun than this.

The crunch of footsteps sounded the arrival of three men down the road. She continued to sit and look as the three arrived. She knew them, but then again she knew everyone. They were brothers, more specific the Peverell brothers. They came to a stop at the river and looked at the rapid waters.

"It's too deep the wade across and too dangerous to swim." She warned. "I suggest to you three that you take another path."

The brothers turned to find a girl sitting by the waters. A dark hooded cloak concealed her face and most of her body. All they could see was pure white skin and black lips that formed a sweet smile.

The eldest brother scoffed.

"Please, girl, I think we can manage to get across."

"That's what they always say," the girl sighed.

"Maybe we should heed her warning, Antioch." The middle brother said. "Perhaps we should find a new path to take."

"What about the other travelers who will come here?" the youngest brother said. "This girl won't always be here to warn people."

She smiled. She thought he would be the one to notice that. He had always been the wisest of the brothers.

"What do suggest we should do, Ignotus?" Antioch said.

As a response, Ignotus pulled out his wand.

"How about we conjure a bridge that we can walk across. We can leave it here for other travelers so they won't drown."

_Finally, someone with brains._ She thought.

The two older brothers exchanged looks before pulling out their own wands. The younger brother smiled and the three used their magic to form a bridge from the stones along the river. She smiled as she watched them. When they had finished they put their wands away and were about to cross the bridge when she came between their path.

"I wish to thank you, Peverell Brothers, for saving countless of future lives... and for lightening my workload."

The brothers looked at each other confused.

"How did you know our name?" asked the middle brother.

"I know everyone's name, Cadmus. I would say it's part of my job, but it isn't exactly true. It merely helps."

"What job?" asked Antioch.

She looked at the three with a kind smile. She lowered her hood to reveal raven black hair and two charcoal grey eyes. Under one eye was a swirl, similar to the Eye of Horus Ignotus had read in books on Ancient Egypt. He also recognized the intricately designed silver ankh around her neck. Ignotus was the first to realize who she was, though it didn't take to long for the other two to catch on.

"You're Death?" Antioch asked in surprise.

She nodded.

"You look a lot different than you do in the books," Cadmus said, "You are a lot more beautiful."

"Thank you, I get that a lot. And another thank you for the bridge, it gets very boring just sitting here waiting for people to come by and drown."

A thought came to Antioch's head.

"If we were able to help people and saved your time, shouldn't we be rewarded with something?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you've heard of me, but I do not grant wishes. Unlike my sister and sister-brother, I do not like to play with mortal lives. Cross the river safely and take on your own paths, be grateful in a safe passage."

"We are the only ones out of hundreds to conjure a bridge and survive the river." Said Cadmus, "We deserve a reward. If you do not grant it to us, we shall tear the bridge down and make the river even more treacherous."

She was not surprised, she was not shocked, she was not happy, and she was not angry. Death is understanding of all reactions of mortal men, as many feel cheated when they accompany her to their next lives. With an indifferent look and a groan, she spoke.

"Do you truly wish to be rewarded by Death?"

The two older brothers looked at each other and nodded. Ignotus was wary before giving a hesitant nod in agreement.

"Very well then, I will grant you each what my brother would call a boon. Antioch, you first, what do you want?"

He smiled and assumed a stance as if he was reciting lines from a play.

"I want to be the most powerful wizard of all time. I want people to know my name throughout history. I want to be worshipped by my friends and feared by my enemies. I wish for a wand that will make me invincible."

Death sighed as she walked over to the nearest tree and snapped off a branch. She rubbed the branch a couple of times and it became a wand that radiated with power. His fingers tingled once she placed it in his hands.

"Just know, Antioch Peverell, that power this great has consequences. Be careful in how you use it and who you use it in front of."

Antioch nodded and crossed the bridge. When he disappeared down his own path, Death turned to Cadmus.

"Now Cadmus, the middle Peverell brother, what is your boon?"

Cadmus smirked.

"Dear lady, I have seen many a good people in my life be taken away by you time and time again. All I ask for is to have them back, to see them once more and hold them in by arms."

Her eyes had a look of worry for the second Peverell brother.

"I do not believe it would be a wise decision. Once I take them to their afterlife, not many want to return to this world. I've known many people whom have shared your wish, it never ended well for those who got what they wanted."

He laughed.

"You're just saying that because if you granted it I would be able to cheat you even more. I know what I am wishing for and I know there is no consequence. Grant me my wish, dear lady, and let me worry about the 'consequences'."

With a look of concern and disdain, she reached into her cloak and pulled out a black stone. She kissed the stone before giving it to the second brother. The stone glowed, revealing an ankh within the facets, before returning to the form of a simple stone with the symbol disappearing.

"Turn that stone three times in your hand while thinking of the person you want to see. But please keep in mind that they won't be the same as they were in life, as they won't be fully alive. Never say I didn't warn you."

Cadmus smiled arrogantly and placed the stone in his pocket. He strolled across the bridge and took a separate path than his brother. This left Death with Ignotus.

"And now it is your turn, Ignotus Peverell. What is your boon?"

Ignotus thought about it for a while, but found nothing he could wish for.

"Please, dear lady, take no offense in this. I know that with every wish there is a consequence, the greater the wish the worse the consequence. I wish for nothing but a safe journey, grant it if you wish."

Death smiled, she had always loved Ignotus' wisdom.

"Very well, Mr. Peverell, I grant you your boon and allow you a safe journey.” She took off her long cloak and gave it to the third Peverell brother. “Here, take this, it's getting dark and the night air around here can be quite cold."

He looked at the cloak in amazement. The fabric was a cross between velvet and silk, soft, smooth and yet he could tell it was not as delicate as either of the two. The designs were beautiful and intricate. With a closer look, it seems that they rippled into other shapes with a shake of the cloak. He looked at it and smiled to her.

"Thank you, my lady."

"Consider it your boon, farewell Ignotus Peverell. Until we meet again."

Ignotus nodded and made his way across the bridge. On the other side, he waved to her.

"Fare thee well, my lady Death. Until we meet again, but hopefully not for a long, long time."

He placed the cloak on his shoulders and dropped the hood over his head. He walked down his path and took a separate road from his other brothers. Death looked on and watched as he faded out of sight.

"We'll meet again, Mr. Peverell, but it won't be for a long, long time."

 


	3. Chapter III

_The first brother traveled for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a wizard with whom he had a quarrel..._

 

"Who dares to challenge me!"

"I, Antioch Peverell, dares to challenge you to a duel."

"Then it shall be a duel to the death, Peverell, no one challenges me and lives."

"Then I shall be the first."

The wizard expected to hear Antioch's first move. He was surprised to be hit square in the chest by an attack spell and fell to the floor. People cringed as they heard the wizard's ribs crack from the spell. He got up and sent his own spell, only for it to be deflected. Both wizards fought with all their might, but eventually there came an end. With a single spell, Antioch stopped his opponent's heart. The wizard was no more.

The villagers looked in awe at the Peverell brother as well as fear.

"I, Antioch Peverell, have defeated the most powerful wizard of this village. I have killed him with this, a wand fashioned by Death himself. I shall now celebrate at the inn, if anyone wishes to join me they are welcome."

Antioch turned on his heel and headed to the nearest inn, followed by his many admirers. No one had noticed the girl in black standing by the wizard's body. She shook her head in disappointment.

"Did he just call you a man?" the wizard said while standing over his own body.

"Yep, but I'm used to it. For some reason, mortal men don't like the thought of women helping them in any way. He's not listening to me, he's doing the exact opposite of what I told him to do."

"He's a damn fool, I can't believe I lost to him."

"You don't need to worry about it anymore, the way he's going you can expect to see him very soon. Come on, it's time for you to go."

* * *

"So there we were, me and my brothers were staring at this great river. Deeper than the sea and the currents stronger than any tempest. No one, not even I could wade across the waters or swim. So then we decided to conjure a bridge, being the three most skilled and powerful wizards in the world. Before we could even cross the bridge, Death himself approached us and congratulated us for outsmarting him and escaping his grip. He rewarded us with gifts, hallows he calls them, one for each of us. I wished to increase my power and he gave me this wand he fashioned with his own two hands."

The crowd looked in awe as Antioch waved his wand in the air. It was obvious he was drunk, both on the power and the mead he held with his other hand.

"What did your brothers wish for?" someone asked.

"I do not know. I left before I could see their wishes granted. But knowing them, they picked something frivolous like gold or some old book. Wench, another round for the house."

"Right away, Mr. Peverell."

That night was full of merriment and wine and mead. Antioch had just about forgotten the warning Death had given him about power and consequence; he would have mocked it if he had anyway. He failed to notice the two women sitting at the table in the corner. If he had, he would have recognized one from the bridge and noticed that the other wasn't exactly a woman.

"My my, dear sister, weren't you the one that told us it was childish to play with mortal lives? Oh, have the tables turned."

"It's nothing like that, sister-brother, they threatened to tear down the bridge and I would've hated to wait by that stupid river any longer."

"So you gave them trinkets to keep them happy, we both know how this will end."

Death watched as Antioch was flirting with a woman by his table. He had a look of lust in his eyes and so did she, but not the same kind he had.

"Yes, I know very well how this will end. It will end with me. But then again everything ends with me, doesn't it?"

"And it always starts with me." it pointed to the woman Antioch was with. She was half listening to the words he spoke. Her attention was drawn to the wand in his hand. She stares at it hungrily, the hunger that the sister-brother was familiar with.

* * *

 She waited until he was fast asleep. She was careful not to wake him as she maneuvered out of his grip and got out of the bed. She got on her clothes and stalked over to the nightstand where he kept his wand. Quieter than the night air, she snatched the wand and stashed it away in her corset where it would be safe. She looked at him, asleep and naked in the bed. He made a good lover; she gave him that. She didn't feel too ashamed for having to seduce him for the wand. But she did not want a lover, nor did she want him to look for her when he wakes up.

She went through his clothes and drew out his knife. She positioned herself the best way she knew to keep the blood off her. With a quick and steady motion, she slit the Peverell brother's throat. He made a gurgling noise as the blood drained from his veins; she knew well that he couldn't feel the pain in his sleep. She was actually very kind for killing him in his sleep. That was how we all want to go, isn't it? The noise soon stopped, Antioch Peverell was dead. She smirked, the moonlight made her look sinister. She dropped the knife and left the room, her clothes cleaner than her conscience.

Antioch looked over his own body in disbelief and horror. Death laid a hand on his shoulder for comfort.

"That bitch!" he exclaimed, "How could she do this to me!"

"Desire is a powerful thing, it can make people do horrible things. It is the cruelest of my siblings, aside from my brother Dream. I warned you against flaunting your power for this very reason."

Antioch turned to Death angrily.

"You knew this would happen, didn't you? You knew I would die!"

She shrugged.

"Everybody dies, Antioch, it is an inevitability. It is merely a matter of when. I warned all three of you that I don't grant wishes and you wouldn't listen. There's a reason I don't, and this is it."

Antioch looked at his body again.

"I should've gotten more, I should have died and old man with a wife and grandchildren."

"You get what everybody gets, you get a lifetime."

 

_And so Death took the first brother for her own._

 


	4. Chapter IV

_Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and his delight, the figure of the girl he had once hope to marry, before her untimely death, appeared at once before him._

 

She looked just as he remembered her. Her skin was the same complexion of olive and snow with cheeks of a pink rose. Her hair was strawberry blonde, soft and silky, draping over her shoulder in a long braid. The only thing different about her was her eyes. They were still the same pale blue, but something about them seemed cold and empty. But it was her; it was really and truly her.

"Giselle," he could only whisper her name. A tear rolled down his cheek, he had only enough strength to keep himself from dropping to his knees and sobbing.

"Cadmus." she said flatly. She too seemed to be holding back tears.

He placed a hand on her cheek; even the feel of her skin was the same. Yet, she was ice cold to the touch as if she were still dead. He didn't care, it was still her face. She wasn't a ghost, she wasn't an illusion. She was there, she was really there.

"It's cold, Cadmus." she said with a sob.

"Yes, I know it was. But now you're with me now, you're with the living."

He held her to his chest. She sobbed as he stroked her hair to comfort. She sobbed the whole time without holding him back. It was as if he wasn't there at all, and she was just sobbing in the middle of a barren field. But Cadmus did not see that, all he saw was the girl he nearly took as a bride all those years ago. He loved her, she was there, and that's all that mattered to him. 

* * *

Her realm was one with mist and mirrors, the only other organisms were her rats that scurried across the floor under the veil of the mist. Every mirror was a window into someone's life. These are the lives of people who knew her well. People so low and miserable they are past the point of hope. These people belong to Despair, and she would watch them as she would a ballet. Tragedy is a true artwork; at least it was to her.

She used her ring to cut a line right above her naked breasts as she looked through one of the mirrors.

It was a man. Not just a man, a wizard. He had made a deal with her sister for a stone that would bring people back from the dead. Against her better judgment, she gave him the stone. And against her warnings, he used the stone to return his late bride to the living. It wasn't long until he noticed that she was cold towards him. When he would try to shower her with affection she would weep if she reacted at all. A veil seemed to have fallen between them, only letting them see little of each other and touch with a thin cloth between them, making no real contact at all. She did not seem to be there at all. She was more like a dream that took a physical form. No, not a dream. Dreams were kinder, they allowed the dreamer to be deceived by the illusion. This was a nightmare, as he knew full well that she wasn't there and that somehow caused her pain. She did not belong with the living, and every day seemed to eat her away. He could not stand to watch the woman he loved suffer, but he didn't want to leave her again. There had to be a way to be with her, truly be with her. A way where they wouldn't be separated by the veil of life and death, dream and reality. There was one, and alas there was only one.

"True poetry," Despair said, "this is truly beautiful. Oh sister, you should involve yourself with mortal lives more often. You are a true artist." 

* * *

Cadmus wept. He was a man, a great and powerful man, a wizard of extraordinary skill, and he wept. He did not care that he wept; he no longer cared for anything. The only thing he cared for was Giselle; the only thing he wanted was to be with Giselle. Anything he did was for Giselle.

"Giselle," he called. She walked over slowly, like a clockwork toy. Her eyes were sullen and red from crying. She hardly seemed to notice him, as was her nature, she just responded to his call.

"Giselle, I'm letting you go back to the afterlife. I can't stand to see you suffer like this; my heart is shattered and ground into dust seeing you in so much pain. I want to let you know that I love you. I love you more than anything in this world. I love you more than life itself, and because I love you I'm setting you free."

He kissed her, and for the first time since he summoned her she kissed back. She placed a hand on his cheek as he pulled away. She smiled. A tear rolled down her cheek, a tear of joy.

"I love you too, Cadmus. Farewell."

He shut his eyes as he rubbed the stone in his hands. He thought of the day she died, how beautiful she looked in her funeral gown. The image blurred, as he recalled, from his tears blurring his vision. He no longer felt her hand on his face. He opened his eyes and she was gone.

"Farewell, my love. Until we see each other again."

He took the glass of wine he left on the table. He drank it slowly, savoring the taste. He placed the empty glass back on the table, and turned his attention to the rope hanging from the ceiling. He placed the chair below it and climbed up. The rope scratched at his throat, but he cared little. The last things he heard were the chair falling over and the snap of rope and neck all at once.

"I'm glad you didn't decide on slitting your wrists, but wouldn't poison be more visually appealing? You do have to consider who's going to find your body, after all."

He found a woman in black sitting at the chair on the opposite side of the table. He wasn't the way he pictured her to be. Her eyes did not chide nor did her smile mock, she did not seem as scary as he thought her to be all his life. She was warm, a thing that he had longed but long lost and forgotten.

"I should have listened to you.," he said flatly.

"Yes, yes you should have."

"I made her suffer, I made my poor darling Giselle suffer. All because I didn't listen to you."

"Not quite."

He snapped his head to her in disbelief.

"What do you mean?"

"The stone I gave you was a gift from my brother. One of his many gems that hold his power. I made it so it would let you be with her without her really being here."

"You mean to say she was a fake! That the woman who suffered this entire time wasn't here at all!"

"Well, yes and no. She was here, but she was a dream aspect of her. She became a resident of my brother's kingdom before she died. The stone helped you see her the way you remembered her, but it also summoned her here. There's a really long, complicated explanation my brother gave me about the difference between dreams and reality that I only half remember and barely understand. But long story short, she wasn't really in pain. It was more like a horrible nightmare. You did the right thing sending her back."

Cadmus smiled, his eyes watering with tears.

"Please, if it' fares with you, I want to go with her."

"That's up to my brother, I can take you to his palace and you can ask him. He'll probably let you, though, Antioch will be there to defend your case."

"My brother's dead?"

"Yeah, someone killed him for his wand. I'm sorry, if it's any consolation he's quite happy with his new life."

Tears streamed down his face. He hugged her, she let him hug her. She doesn't always get such a good reception to her arrival.

"Lead me on, my sweet lady, lead me on."

 

_And so Death took the second brother as her own._

 


	5. Chapter V

_But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, she was never able to find him. It was only when he had attained a great age that the youngest brother finally took off the Cloak of Invisibility and gave it to his son._

 

They arrived at the bridge at twilight, the same time he arrived with his brothers all those years ago. Ignotus thought it was funny how little the river had changed since that fateful day. The bridged still stood, untouched by time except the stones worn smooth by the many feet that had trodden upon it.

He couldn't help but remember that day, and the many days and eventual years that followed it. He remembered how after that encounter with Death herself, he had crossed paths with a band of thieves that were robbing a family at knifepoint. They could not see him, and he did not know why until he realized he could not see himself. The cloak had concealed him from the eyes of the bandits as well as himself. He used this to his advantage to save the people being robbed from their untimely deaths. He remembered that was the day he had met his future wife Elissa, but he did not propose until they had crossed paths a few short years later.

He remembered weeks later, when he heard of his brothers' deaths. He was heartbroken, but he wasn't exactly surprised. He remembered Death's warnings to the two brothers and how they ignored her. When he heard about Antioch being killed after bragging about wand, he was not surprised when he heard that said wand was missing. When he heard Cadmus' suicide, he thought of the stone he had wished for. He knew immediately whom he had summoned with the stone. Giselle. They were both warned against theses actions and did nothing to heed them. Because of this he did not blame her.

He remembered his wedding with fair Elissa, and he remembered the birth of their eldest son Telemachus. He remembered all his children. Their lives, their marriages, the birth of their own children, all were bestowed before him like a series of paintings. Sadly, he remembered the departure of his sweet Elissa. He remembered seeing her leave with the girl he had met on the bridge all those years ago. The only thing that had changed about her was her clothes. He cried for Elissa, even though he knew she would be in a better place he cried. When Elissa had finally left, Death stayed for the third brother.

"I'm sorry about your brothers." she had said to him.

"You shouldn't be, you tried your best to warn them. I never blamed you for them, you shouldn't blame yourself."

She smiled. It was that warm, comforting smile he saw his friends give him upon hearing the news of his brothers' death. But her smile was different, it was genuine. She felt truly sorry for him.

"Are they in a good place?" he asked her.

She nodded.

"They serve my brother. He was quite reluctant a first, but I gave them a good word and they were in. It was the least I could do for them."

"You did nothing wrong. It was their decision and it led to their own destruction."

She placed her hand over his.

"Do I go with you?"

"Do you think you should?"

"I would want to, I am old enough. I am older than anyone I know. But I still have one last son to care for."

"Do you wish to go when your son becomes a man?"

He looked up. His sad red eyes glistened a little bit with a small smile.

"I would very much like that."

Death smiled at him.

"Very well then, Ignotus Peverell. On the day your son becomes a man, I will come for you. Make the best with the time you've got, I wish you the best."

She was about to leave when Ignotus stopped her.

"That day in the river, when I asked for nothing but a journey, you granted me that. I did not realize that journey went farther than the road. I wish to thank you, I am eternally grateful for your gift."

He looked over to the Cloak of Invisibility, she did too. She smiled.

"You're welcome, that was the only thing I did not regret of that day."

"I wish you well, until we meet again."

"Until we meet again."

"Father, what are we doing by this old bridge?"

Ignotus looked at his youngest son. He smiled at placed his hand I his shoulder.

"My dear Alberen, I am sorry to make you walk all this way on your wedding day, but I have to leave and I didn't want to go without giving you your wedding present."

He took off the Cloak and held it in his hands.

"I don't know how many years ago, possibly a hundred, I had two brothers. We took this path together until we came to this river. It was too deep to wade through and too treacherous to swim across. We, being well learned in the magic arts, created a bridge with which we could safely cross the river. This is the very bridge.

"Our path was blocked by a figure, they wore this cloak. She thanked us for the bridge and we asked for a reward in return. My eldest brother asked for power, she gave him a wand that would grant him that wish. She warned against exploiting that power and he ignored it. His throat was cut in the nearest village and the wand stolen. My other brother wanted to recall souls back from the dead, she granted it with a magic stone. He hung himself a couple of weeks later. My theory was he brought back a girl he wanted to marry and the longing to be with her was too strong to live with. As for me, all I wanted was safe passage on my journey. She gave me this cloak, not telling me of its true power. It allowed me a safe journey by hiding in plain sight. I did not know that the journey I took went beyond the road. In a way, I was able to hide even from Death. The only times I saw her was when you and your siblings were born and when your mother passed, I didn't realize that she couldn't see me until you were born. I have lived a long life, I have seen my children grow and have their own children. You are the last to grow. Today is your wedding day, the day you are a man. As you start your own journey, I end mine. This is my wedding present to you, I wish you safe passage on your journey."

With that, he handed the cloak to his son. Alberen was speechless. His father is dying on his wedding day and he just gives him his ratty old cloak and wishes him well like it was nothing. He would've cried, begged for his father to stay, cursed Death for stealing him away. He would've done that if he were a boy. But he was a man now, and his life was just starting. He accepted his father’s end as he accepted his cloak.

"I wish you happiness in the afterlife, father. I'll let people know about you story, you will not be forgotten."

"That's my boy. Go back to the church, enjoy your day. I hope never to see you again for a long, long time. Farewell Alberen."

Ignotus crossed the bridge, Alberen stayed on the other side, waving goodbye. On the other side of the bridge waited Death. She was accompanied by a tall, rake thin man. He had pale skin and black hair like Death, but instead of eyes he had black holes with tiny stars twinkling inside them. Ignotus assumed that he was Death's brother.

 

_And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with her gladly, and, as equals, they departed this life._

 


	6. Chapter VI

"And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with her gladly, and, as equals, they departed this life."

Molly had listened intently to the story without asking any questions. She was surprised how clearly he spoke when he told stories compared to the horrendous stutter he would have the rest of the time.

"What became of the three afterwards?" She asked, "Who was that man with Death? What happened to Death's gifts?"

Abel was about to answer the question when Cain cut him off.

"Death's gifts became the legendary Deathly Hallows, passed down, lost, and stolen for generations. Legend has it, if you possess all three you would become the Master of Death. As for all your other questions, they are mysteries and secrets. Things that neither of us are obligated to give away."

"What happened to Alberen?"

"He lived," answered Eve, "He married his love, they had children, and those children lived. And like Ignotus gave Alberen the Cloak of invisibility Alberen gave the Cloak to his youngest son. And that son gave it to his, and so forth."

"Quit trying to give stuff away!" Cain shouted. "Sometimes you're worse than my idiot brother."

"Hm hey, I duhdon't give uh every thuhthing away. I um didn't tuhtuhtell her abuhbout thuhthem working uh huhhere, um did I?"

"Now you did, you twit! You are the keeper of the House of Secrets, why can't you keep any secrets!"

With that, Cain dragged Abel to another room. Molly heard Abel screaming while Cain was yelling at him. Then there was a horrible noise, and everything went silent. Cain came out, wiping the blood from his hands and the rest of him. Molly stared wide-eyed and returned to sipping her tea nervously. In real life she would've freaked out over someone killing his brother in cold blood, but this is a dream. People react to things differently in dreams.

Molly was starting to feel her vision of her dream start to blur as she was regaining consciousness in the waking world. Eve placed a hand on Molly's shoulder.

"Come on, Molly." she said, "I think that potion is starting to wear off."

"But what about my story!" Cain whined.

"Another time, dear. She needs to go home."

"Alright, next time I'm telling her the story of the wizard with two hearts and ten lives. Perhaps _that_ will keep her dreaming."

"Goodbye Mr. Cain." Molly said drowsily.

"Goodbye little witch, goodbye mother."

"I'm not your mother." Eve snapped.

"You're everybody's mother." he smiled while wiping the blood off his face.

Molly and Eve made their way back to Molly's dream. They made it to a bridge when Molly started waking up. The last she saw in the Dreaming was three black birds on the bridge. The looked and acted so familiar to each other, one might think they were brothers...

* * *

 

 Molly woke up in the infirmary. It was the middle of the night. No one was there except for the handful of ghosts that worked/haunted the medical wing. She pondered on the dream she had. _They couldn't have been_ the _Cain and Abel,_ she thought, _and that couldn't have been the real Eve. Could it?_ She shrugged and looked at the mountain of gifts her housemates had given her. What attracted her attention the most was a book that sat under some boxes of chocolate frogs. She took the book from under the boxes and looked at it.

_The Tales of Beedle the Bard._

She opened the book and looked at the table of contents. Her eyes widened when she found one particular story.

_The Tale of the Three Brothers_

She turned the page and started reading while eating a box of jellybeans. Her forehead wrinkled as she read.

"That's not right," she said to the book as if it were a real person. "That's not right at all."

 


End file.
